


We Would Be Queen

by Entwinedlove



Series: The Great October Challenge 2017 [51]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-08 00:22:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16418873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Entwinedlove/pseuds/Entwinedlove
Summary: Hermione's life is influenced by something unseen.





	We Would Be Queen

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Ordinary Writing Levels's 31 Days of Halloween  
> Day 18 prompt: Haunted
> 
> [ ](https://i.imgur.com/l8Cpqvu.jpg)

It started after Hermione returned to Hogwarts for her seventh year. Just a little whisper every so often in her ear in, surprisingly, Bellatrix Lestrange's voice. "They're judging you. You've got to do better."

And so she did. Hermione Granger left the hallowed halls of Hogwarts as one of the highest scoring students in the thousand years since its founding.

The whispers followed her to Muggle university. "Look at them. They think they're better than you. Show them, show them how it is you who could rule over them."

And she did, in a way. She joined organisations that gave her an in into government and law. Pushed for new regulations, new rights. Privileges.

When Hermione joined the Ministry, the whispering grew louder and more frequent. "You know better than them. You could rule, you would be a great Minister for Magic."

And so she did. Hermione worked long, hard hours and neglected her health, her friends, her heart. She had something to prove.

When she became Minister for Magic, the whispers grew insidious. "If you change this law, you could give yourself more power... all you need to do is slip it into the new addendum you're getting passed. Just a little law. You know you'd be a wonderful queen. You know better than all of these peasants. Take it, take power. You could be queen."

And she almost did. One little slip, one little change in wording and she could have crowned herself Queen of Magical Britain.

It was Luna that told her something was wrong. One night, when Hermione had stayed hours past normal business hours, Luna Lovegood happened to come to the Ministry for a visit. Because she came during non-working hours, Luna was directed to the Minister to authorise a Portkey.

"Hermione?" Luna asked, looking at the frazzled, aged woman who had once been her friend. "Did you know you have a ghost haunting you?"

"What?"

"Yeah, she looks something like Bellatrix Lestrange." Luna tilted her head up and looked at Hermione's hair, frizzy as it had always been but the same as she'd started styling it in her last year of Hogwarts. "You sort of look like her too, you know."

Hermione's eyes went wide and she reached up to her hair to tug on a curl near her neck. Her hairstyle had been suggested by the whispers. She turned around, towards where Luna had been staring and saw for the first time the owner of the whispers.

The ghost of Bellatrix just shrugged her transparent shoulders and pouted her bottom lip. "We were going to be great, Hermione. Queen." Her eyes flashed with a maniacal glint.


End file.
